The instant invention relates to an open-end spinning device.
With open-end spinning devices of a similar type it is known that the shaft bears in axial direction on a step bearing. This is shown for example in DE-AS 24 12 004. The thrust bearings made in this manner have the advantage that the thrust bearing is put under considerable mechanical stress due to the metallic contact with the rapidly rotating rotor shaft and wear out rapidly. No high rotational speed can be used after a sufficiently long period of time.
In other embodiments of an open-end spinning device of a similar type (DE-OS 23 17 306, DE 35 23 116 A1) the shaft bears axially against a rotatably supported ball. These designs have the disadvantage that in order to ensure that the ball also rotates slowly and in order to reduce wear, the thrust bearing must be lubricated. Because of the high speed of the rotor the lubricant is brought out of the thrust bearing, and this leads to soiling of the spinning device and of the spun goods. Furthermore such a bearing is expensive and requires a high degree of maintenance. Constant control of the oil level and replenishing lost oil is necessary, and for this the spinning device must be stopped. This causes additional costs. At high rotational speeds, e.g. those up to above 12,000 r.p.m., the above-mentioned problems are aggravated. A further disadvantage in open-end spinning devices of a similar type is that the axial, impetuous movements of the rotor shaft which are caused by radial impetuous load of the rotor shaft, e.g. by the drive means or by imbalance in the rotor disk, cannot be sufficiently clamped by the known thrust bearings. It may occur therefore that the spinning rotor leaves its axial position, and this leads to an interruption of the spinning process or to the spinning rotor impactly against the rotor housing.